PowerMeA2Z
Statewide Women’s Health Campaign, Arizona Department of Health ServicesAccolades
HEMMY Professional Campaign Award
Designated a Promising Practice by the Association of Maternal & Child Health Programs
Promising Practice Designation
Services
- Focus Groups
- Community Outreach
- Brand Creation
- Website Creation
- Print Material Creation
- Program Evaluation
- Presentation of Findings
- Message Testing
Topics
- Preconception Women's Health
- Interconception Women's Health
- Birth Defect Prevention
audience
- Preconception Women
- Interconception Women
- Community Stakeholders
- Healthcare Providers
- Spanish Speakers
The Challenge
Neural tube birth defects, like spina bifida, can be painful and challenging for families; they can also be prevented by taking vitamins with folic acid prior to getting pregnant. The Arizona Department of Health Services wanted to reduce instances of neural tube birth defects and, in 2013, tasked SUMA with doing so through a statewide public health campaign. We have continued to manage the campaign since its inception to great success.
The Research
SUMA’s award-winning campaign, PowerMeA2Z, was developed through qualitative and quantitative research with preconception and interconception women, as well as with healthcare providers, WIC staff, and staff from home visiting programs. Our research findings determined that women were motivated to take multivitamins when they understood the benefits to themselves and their potential pregnancies. The resulting strategy was to offer free multivitamins with folic acid bundled with women’s health information.
The Results
PowerMeA2Z has worked to reduce neural tube birth defects in Arizona by distributing over 250,000 free multivitamins with folic acid through the campaign’s educational website (with 200,000+ unique users) and through a network of over 250 outreach partners.
SUMA has expanded PowerMeA2Z’s reach to every county in the state through grassroots partner outreach, purchased media, and social media advertising.
SUMA’s innovative approach for creating sustainability includes conducting outreach to healthcare providers and teaching them about the campaign. Evaluation data indicate that 74% of women who had interacted with PowerMeA2Z made at least one health behavior change.
Awards
PowerMeA2Z was awarded the Arizona Public Health Association’s HEMMY Professional Campaign Award in 2013 and was designated a Promising Practice by the Association of Maternal & Child Health Programs (AMCHP) in 2016.
Additional Projects